By Toma Lynn Smith
The University of Louisville’s student requirement for a green parking permit may go from 60 credit hours to 90 starting in the fall semester of this year. This action could change the current ratio of green permit holders to spaces available from 2.75:1 to 2:1 according to Student Government Association Services Vice President Rudy Spencer.
Spencer said there is a proposal from the Parking Advisory Committee to make this change. The date to vote on the proposal has not been announced yet, though Spencer said it should be some time in May. If PAC approves the change, it will go to Vice President for Business Affairs Larry Owsley for final approval.
At the April 8 SGA Senate meeting, Spencer, a member of PAC, opened up the floor for discussion about the Belknap parking situation, looking for input and suggestions he could take into account.
“What I wanted to do was gain some sort of insight into how the Senate felt on these parking issues,” Spencer said. ?
Many senators voiced their concerns about the proposed change and other parking issues.?
“Moving those students with junior status from green parking lots to the purple parking lots would mean a loss of revenue for University Parking,” Graduate Student Council President Tim Brauch said. “I have a hard time believing they would do that.” ?
Spencer also brought up the idea of putting a larger gap between the green and purple permit prices, an idea many senators were skeptical towards.
“That won’t change things,” Arts and Sciences Senator Katie Foster said. “I know people who are willing to pay $270 a semester to park at Masterson’s.” ?
“Parking is like gas prices: if people want it, they’re going to get it,” Arts and Sciences Senator Keisha Mink said.
However, other senators expressed their concern about the parking situation on Belknap.
School of Business Senator Erica Downs said, “Anytime you’re buying something and not getting a service is not really fair.”?
“When I became a junior, I got really excited about the parking privileges,” senior accounting major Nikki Williams said, “until I realized you can’t always park in the garage.”
School of Engineering Senator Ahmed Awadallah pointed out green permit holders are not restricted to parking only in the garage, mentioning the parking lots behind the Speed School as viable options.
“That’s too far and unsafe,” Downs said. Spencer then suggested later shuttle times be offered to green permit holders as well as campus residents with yellow permits.?
Another idea was to have campus residents park their cars at Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. According to Spencer, the current ratio for campus residents to their parking spots is 1.41:1, with over two floors of the Floyd Street garage reserved for residents.
A few senators pointed out campus residents don’t have to move their cars as much as the commuters, so this could possibly eliminate some of the parking congestion. Some senators agreed the privileges of yellow permit holders need to be adjusted.
Junior elementary education major, Senator Whitney Stewart said she feels some students with these yellow passes are given unnecessary privileges.
“If you live on campus, why do you need to drive to class?? You can walk your butt to class, that’s the reason you live on campus,” she said. ?
